Pulling Down the Moon

More Evidence in Support of Fertility Yoga

April 6, 2010

More evidence in support of yoga for fertility:


A new study examining the potential stress-reduction benefits of hatha yoga practice compared the inflammatory and endocrine responses of healthy women to a restorative hatha yoga session and to control activity. Half of the 50 subjects were “expert yoginis (women with a regular yoga practice) and half were yoga novices.  Prior to each intervention session the women were subjected stress challenges in order to gauge the extent that yoga speeds recovery from stress. The results of the study were very interesting.


  1. The yoga session boosted mood compared to the control activities, but no change was found in subjects’ response to stress before and after yoga or any of the control sessions.  HOWEVER…
  2. In response to the stress events the novices, who were not statistically different in age or other variables from the expert yoginis, had C-Recative Protein levels (a marker of inflammation) that were 4.75 times as high as the experts.


The researchers concluded “the ability to minimize inflammatory responses to stressful encounters lowers the burden that stress places on an individual. They also suggested that their research supports the idea that regular yoga practice dampens stress-related changes and can have lasting health benefits.


These findings are extremely relevant for women struggling with infertility. Stress is an inflammatory condition and inflammation is implicated in many infertility diagnoses including PCOS, endometriosis, miscarriage and potentially even poor egg and sperm quality.  The take-home from this research is that yoga may do more for a woman who is trying to conceive than reduce her anxiety levels and improve her mood. Regular yoga practice may actually improve her physiological response to stress events and protect her body from the negative effects of chronic inflammation.

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Tips for Spring Restoration

February 18, 2025
Spring arrives next month, and with it, more cold days (perhaps even snow)! But March also brings the promise of new life. We love this time of year. The ground starts to smell fresh and ripe. Small green buds begin to swell from the earth reaching up, up, up. Birds chatter in the trees. The sun stays in the sky a little longer each day. After a long, cold winter of hibernation, spring restores nature’s beauty. Spring inspires us to restore ourselves, too and these self-care techniques will lead you to restoration of mind, body and spirit. Hydrate. Drink a glass or two of water first thing in the morning. Keeping yourself hydrated helps boost your mood, improves brain power and protects you against disease. Make a gratitude list. Spending just a few minutes a day writing down what you are grateful for can dramatically shift your day. The more gratitude you have, the more open to abundance you become. Breathe. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice breathing. There are so many benefits! Among them, diaphragmatic breathing alleviates stress, reduces pain, strengthens internal muscles and moves blood to organs and tissues. If you’re not sure how to get started, try our Breathe & Restore Workshop or schedule an Soothe the Senses: Calm the Nervous System Fertility Enhancing Massage™ to receive some hands-on breath work coaching. Stretch. Five to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning increases energy levels, enhances circulation, reduces injury and centers your mind. Even better is a regular yoga practice. Get started by downloading the Fully Fertile App today to give you a jump start! Our next Signature Yoga for Fertility Series begins on Monday, February 24th to reduce anxiety and stress by 20% or more in just six weeks. Eliminate something from your diet that isn’t serving you. I nstead of overhauling your entire diet, start by taking out one food that doesn’t nourish your body. Replace it with a different item that supports your desire for restoration. Learn even more by working with scheduling a nutrition consult ! We look forward to seeing you virtually or in-person at one of our centers to help you get started. Many wishes for a beautiful spring!
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